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Organizing programmes on the occasion of PLI Day (01.02.2017).

Department of Posts, India
Office of the Postmaster General
Sambalpur Region, Sambalpur-768001

To,                                                                                                                                    
All SSPOs/SPOs in Sambalpur Region

No.      RPLI/RO/Work shop/2015-16 dated at Sambalpur the 30.01.2017

Sub:-    Organizing programmes on the occasion of PLI Day (01.02.2017).

Ref.:-   CO, Bhubaneswar letter No.LI/Misc-2/09-10 /Ch-VI dated 25.01.2017

            Please refer to the Circle Office, Bhubaneswar letter cited above on the mentioned subject wherein it has been directed to organize the following events at Divisional/Sub-Divisional level for the promotion of PLI/RPLI on the occasion of PLI Day on 01.02.2017.

(1)   Organizing PLI Mela at Divisional level.
(2)   Organizing PLI training and awareness programme for Departmental employees.
(3)   Organizing claim settlement/public grievances by the CPCs/Divisions to liquidate the pendency and to settle all the complaints.

            In this connection, you are requested to observe PLI Day in your Division on 01.02.2017 by conducting the aforesaid activities and submit compliance report thereof to this office by 02.02.2017 for onward submission of a consolidated report to CO, Bhubaneswar.  

(S. Biswal)
Asst. Director Postal Services
O/o the Postmaster General
Sambalpur Region, Sambalpur-768001

GST will not lead to job losses at central excise dept, assures Jaitley

New Delhi: Ahead of the rollout of GST, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today sought to address concerns of job loss from reduced work of central excise and service tax officials, saying they should have no insecurity as enough work and opportunities will be available to them in the new indirect tax regime.

"I see no reason really for disquiet for the simple reason (that) opportunities which are available to people in service and the matter of policy and constitutional guarantee are all protected," he said at the Investiture Ceremony 2017 and International Customs Day 2017 organised by CBEC here.

Only the nature of activity will change because there will be one national sales tax replacing an array of central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT.

"Important changes and evolutions which take place are never put on the back burner" just because the people who conduct the activity would now have to work in an altered form and environment, he said.

"The number of people required, the kind of opportunity will remain unchanged except that the nature of activity itself changes," he said.

GST, he said, has for last several yeas been considered as a larger part of policy consensus in India and an important taxation reform that will lead to the economic integration of the country.

"Once it takes place you have a situation where taxes (that) are levied by the state (and) by Centre (will) all be integrated into one and therefore resulting in one assessment.

"Multiple systems on assessment which is there at present will evolve into a newer kind of system," he said.

He was responding to Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) Chairman Najib Shah’s remarks drawing his attention to "the rising disquiet in the cadre", saying there were human resource issues in the service.

Jaitley said the revenue to be collected is going to expand and there will be expansion of economic activity as well.

"Therefore even though you have two parallel machineries which could now be converging into similar kind of activities and shared responsibility, I think the future will stand witness to the fact that there will be adequate amount of opportunities to be created and therefore the kind of disquiet in service, the kind of personal pressure I see on you should reduce as there is no real occasion for a fear of this kind or a sense of insecurity for anyone in this service," he said.

The Finance Minister said change and evolution are an integral part of any economic order, and they are never held back because the nature of responsibility is going to change.

"This is an ongoing process it will continue and we will all have to adjust ourselves with this particular change. I can only assure you that there is no reason for disquiet, you can go and have a comfortable sleep tonight,” he told the revenue officials.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia told the officers that they will have enough work to do under GST.

The Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) Officers Association has asked the government to protect the sanctity of their service amid attempts by officers of state government VAT departments to equate themselves with IRS (Customs and Central Excise) officers.

PTI

Government may make Aadhaar must for rail concession in Budget 2017

New Delhi: Government is contemplating to make Aadhaar or Unique Identification (UID) card mandatory to avail rail concession, and an announcement is likely to be made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the first combined General and Railway Budget on February 1.

The move will help the government in better targetting of benefits and check misuse of the facility, sources said.

The Railways provides concession on tickets to more than 50 categories of passengers which include senior citizens, students, research scholars, teacher, doctor, nurse, patients, sports people, unemployed youth, Arjun awardees among others.

At present, Railways is running a pilot project for senior citizens who are entitled for rail concessions.

The concessional tickets cost the Railways about Rs 1,600 crore in 2015-16, with the bulk being accounted for senior citizens.

As per the government data, over 100 crore Aadhaar cards have been issued so for covering bulk of India’s population.

The government has decided to end the 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Railway budget and merged it with the General Budget.

Jaitley, according to sources, will contribute few pages of his Budget to programmes and schemes related to Indian Railways.

Although there will be a single budget, the Railways will continue to have autonomy as commercial undertaking and the existing financial arrangement will remain.

The Railways is expected to get exemption from payment of dividend to the Union government, a move which will help strengthening its finances.

The organisation will also get budget support to meet part of its capital expenditure and will be allowed to raise extra budgetary resources.

According to sources, Railways would continue to bear the expenditure on social and public service obligations.

It is also expected that Jaitley will present a separate statement of budget estimates and demand for grants for Railways in the General Budget.

There will also be a single Appropriation bill, including the estimates of Railways, to the Parliament.

PTI

GST: Finance Minister may hike service tax to 16-18% in Budget

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may hike service tax rate to 16-18 per cent from the current 15 per cent in the Budget, due on Wednesday, as a precursor to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout. 

The move, that will make flying, eating out, phone bills and a host of other services expensive, would be an attempt to take the rates closer to the proposed tax slabs for GST.

GST, which will subsume central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT, is scheduled to be rolled out from July 1.

The tax slabs decided for the GST are 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent and taking service tax closer to one of the slabs is a logical move in the Budget, tax experts said.

Tax experts say, Jaitley, who had in his previous budget hiked service tax rate by 0.5 per cent to 15 per cent, may raise the levy by at least one percentage point to 16 per cent.

Some others feel there could be different service tax rates with a lower 12 per cent for basic services and a higher 18 per cent for the rest.

Also, a higher service tax for April-June will help the government garner more revenue to meet expenses on schemes and programmes it may be planning to contain the impact of demonetisation.

A service tax rate closer to the GST rate will also help consumers avoid a greater price shock when the new national sales tax is rolled out.

While service tax until now is a central levy, it will be equally split between the Centre and states under the new GST regime. Most services, except essential ones like primary healthcare and basic education, will be covered by GST.

Service tax was budgeted to provide Rs 2.31 lakh crore in 2016-17, more than 14 per cent of the Centre’s total tax revenues of Rs 16.30 lakh crore.

This will be the third time that Jaitley will raise service tax rate. Service tax from June 1, 2015 was hiked from 12.36 per cent to 14 per cent. A 0.5 per cent Swachh Bharat Cess was levied on all services, taking the total incidence of service tax to 14.5 per cent from November 15, 2015.

In the last Budget, he imposed a Krishi Kalyan Cess at the rate of 0.5 per cent on all taxable services to take the levy to 15 per cent.

PTI

New Pay Table of GDS BPM (TRCA-1,2,3)

Regarding payment of Allowances to PS Group “B” officers whose grade pay has been up graded from Rs. 4800 to 5400

No. 7-6/2016-PCC

Government of India

Ministry of Communications

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg,

New Delhi – 110001

Date : 11.01.2017

To

All the Heads of Circle

Office Memorandum

Sub : Regarding payment of Allowances to PS Group “B” officers whose grade pay has been up graded from Rs. 4800 to 5400.

Attention is invited to G.S.R. 721 (E) and copy of Resolution published under no. 1-2/2016-IC dated 25.7.2016 by Ministry of Finance circulated vide DP Posts OM No. 7-2/216-PCC and Para 4 of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure OM No. 1-5/2016-IC dated 29.07.2016 circulated vide DG Posts No. 7-2/2016-PCC dated 01.08.2016 regarding implementation of recommendation of 7th Central Pay Commission.

2. In this connection various Circles and Associations have sought clarification regarding payment of Transport and other allowances to the officials whose Grade Pay has been upgraded on the implementation of the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

3. The matter has been examined in consultation with Implementation Cell, Department of Expenditure and the clarification given by the Department of Expenditure vide the ID Note No. 30-1/7(ii)/2016-IC (Pt) dated 9.1.2017 is as under :-

“regarding admissibility of Transport Allowance and HRA to Superindentdent (Posts) as per up-graded Grade Pay of 5400 (PB-2) from GP 4800 w.e.f. 1.1.2016, consequent upon the up-gradation of post vide this Department notification dated 25.07.2016 of CCS (RP) Rule, 2016.

The issue has been examined by this Department. Accordingly, the Department of Posts is advised to reckon and pay the Allowances (other than DA) to Superindentdent (Posts) corresponding to their up-graded Post in re-revised pay structure w.e.f. 1.1.2016 at the existing rate under the terms and conditions prevailing in the pre-revised pay structure till the date of effect of allowances (other than Dearness Allowance) be notified by this Department”.

4. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned for necessary action.

(R.L. Patel)

Asst. Director General (GDS/PCC)

Click to view the order

Authority: India Post

Providing proper minimum wage of Rs 27000/- for CG Employees Pay fixation formula

The staff side of the JCM had given representation demanding Rs 10,000/- as minimum wage for Central Government Employees. The 6th CPC in its report vide para no 2.2.15 had calculated a minimum wage of Rs 5478/- today if we are calculate the minimum wage it should be more than Rs.21,000/- apart from HRA and other allowances. Hence there is three times increase in actual prices calculated by the 6th CPC and the current prices.The current wages of the CG Employees should be doubled at least including that of GDS.

The most comprehensive criteria for covering all the basic needs were evolved by the 15th Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in 1957 for fixing minimum wages. The norms are that a need-based minimum wage for a single worker should cover all the needs of a worker’s family consisting of a spouse and two children.

The food requirement was to be 2,700 calories, 65 grams of protein and around 45-60 grams of fat as recommended by Dr Wallace Aykroyd for an average Indian adult of moderate activity. Dr Aykroyd pointed out that animal proteins, such as milk, eggs, fish, liver and meat, are biologically more efficient than vegetable proteins and suggested that they should form at least one-fifth of the total protein.

Dr Aykroyd worked on nutrition for nearly 30 years and was director of the Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations. In 1935, he was appointed Director of the Government’s Nutritional Research Centre in India, situated in Coonoor in the south.

The 15th ILC further resolved that clothing requirements should be based on per capita consumption of 18 yards per annum, which gives 72 yards per annum for the average worker’s family. For housing, the rent corresponding to the minimum area provided under the government’s industrial housing schemes was to be taken. Fuel, lighting and other items of expenditure were to constitute an additional 20% of the total minimum wage.

The Supreme Court upheld these criteria in the case of Unichoy vs State of Kerala in 1961. In the later Raptakos Brett Vs Workmen case of 1991, the SC went one step further, and held that besides the five components enunciated by the 15th ILC, minimum wages should include a sixth component, amounting to 25% of the total minimum wage, to cover children’s education, medical treatment, recreation, festivals and ceremonies. The SC also observed that a wage structure including the above six components would be “nothing more than minimum wage at subsistence level” which the workers must get “at all times and under all circumstances”.

Minimum Salary-Analysis &Recommendations para 2.2.15

The Commission, however, agrees that the norms set by the 15th International Labour Conference (ILC) are appropriate for computing minimum salary. It is also observed that the minimum salary is applicable at the time a person joins the Government which will usually be at a young age when a person may be just married and will not have responsibility of parents or many children. Accordingly, the family unit for minimum salary can only be taken as three.

The Minimum Salary should be based on 6 units not three units as per 6th CPC calculation. As both parents and two children are depending on the salary of Government servant apart from spouse. the additional burden the employees will carry after a few years of service as his parents would have retired from service and are wholly dependent on him also his children would have stepped into school / college level, even small baby requirements are much unlike in the past years, the hence the minimum wage he gets will not compensate with the family financial burden Hence the whole calculations needs a undergo a drastic change in next CPC taking into account of 6 units rather than 3 units .

The Sixth Central Pay Commission has recommended a minimum wage of Rs 6600/- per month against the demand of Rs.10,000/- per month as worked out by Staff side of JCM. Today the minimum need based wage works out to Rs.21,000/ per month+ HRA+ allowances.The general minimum expenses per month for a family of four members are as follows when a Government servant joins the duty with two small children:

a) Vegetables Rs.3000/-
b) Food Grains /Groceries Rs.7000/-.
c) House rent single room Rs.6000/-
d) Clothing Rs.3000/-
e) Children education and their expenses Rs.2000/-
f) Electricity Chargers Rs.800/-
g) Water Charges Rs.250/-
h) Transportation charges Rs.1000/-
i) TV cable rent Rs.300/-
j) Medical Expenses Rs.500/-
k) Mobile expenses Rs.250/-
l) Cooking Gas Rs.450/-
m)Recreation charges Rs.500/-
n) Personal expenses Rs.1000/-

Total Rs 26500/-Hence minimum wage works out to Rs 27,000/-

The expenses will increase as the age of Government servant goes up and family responsibility will increase as he has to educate the children in professional courses, marriage of his children has to be performed, his medical expenses will increase, his parents will stay with him and now there are quite dependant on the Government servant for their lively hood. As such the salary should be more to meet his expenses. The Government is a model employer hence the wages should be provided with the needs.

Table:

Fixation of Minimum wage as on 1.1.2006 as per 15 ILC norms as per Table 2.2.1 of the 6th CPC report and the minimum wage as per current prices we compare minimum wage should be three times the 6th CPC recommendations.

Source: Average market rates in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai as indicated in the Economic Times & Other major dailies (element of 20% has been added to cover the increase in cost in retail sale).

Notes PCU = Per day Consumption Unit 3CU = Three Consumption Units that is wife, husband and a child no parents or second child is taken into account.

* 20% Miscellaneous charges towards fuel, electricity, water etc.

** Additional Expense at the rate of 25% includes expenditure towards education, Medical treatment, housing, recreation, festivals etc.

# Has been taken as Rs.400 because separate allowances for education, medical

• Treatment and housing exist in the Government. Consequently, only the expenditure
• Towards recreation & festivals need to be taken in account.

^ Being the license fee chargeable for government accommodation at an average rate of 3% of the basic pay.

Total minimum wage is Rs 17225+ HRA Rs 7000/- + Transportation Allowance Rs 2500/-= Rs 26725 that is Rs 27,000/-

The fixation of minimum basic pay of Rs 21000/- is taking into the account of minimum skill and education requirement as 10th Standard as prescribed by the 6th CPC. As the education requirement is more such as Diploma in Engineering or Degree in Science or Commerce, then the minimum basic pay should be Rs.40,000/- (8700+4200) X 3 = Rs 39,000/-. For Engineering Graduates and Master Degree it should be Rs 65,000/- .

The pay scales should start with a minimum basic pay including Grade Pay of Rs 21,000/- to end with 2, 10,000 with a ratio of 1:10 of minimum scale and maximum scale. Since government is a model employer they should provide minimum wages as per the 15 ILO conference and other wages as per the educational qualification & skill requirement of the job.

The multiplying factor is calculated as below:

The existing basic pay + Grade pay+ DA 100%+ weightage of 100% ( that is the difference between the actual price rise and the DA paid) that is the multiplying factor works out to three.

Note: The actual price rise is over 200% the DA is only 90%.

Or

The existing basic pay + grade pay+ DA 100%+DA merger = Net wage + weightage of 70% (that is the difference between the actual price rise and the DA paid).

The pay scales should have a multiplying factor of three, that means the existing pay scales and pay (basic pay + GP) should be multiplied by three.The pay scales arrived should not have any bunching of basic pay as done in the 5th CPC. The time scales should last for more than 10 years so that there is no stagnation.

The concept of fair wages has been deprived to CG Employees. Usually pay commissions had adopted a multiplying factor of 3.2 to 3.8 to arrive at the new scales compared to earlier scales. But the VI CPC adopted conversion factor of about 2.6 at the lowest where as it was about 3.6 at the highest scale. By this method well established ration 1:12 between the lowest scale and highest scale was disturbed by the VI CPC.

The minimum pay & band pay fixed by the 6th CPC was very low compared all other pay commissions for example a new recruit for the post of LDC his pay is Rs 5200+ 1900 = Rs 7100/- + allowances, that should have been actually Rs 3050 multiplied by 3.6 times which works out to Rs.11000/- .

In case of a Graduate or Diploma holder as per 6th CPC it is Rs 9300 + 4200= Rs 13500/- + allowances, that should have been actually Rs 5000 multiplied by 3.6 times which works out to Rs 18000/- .

In case of a Master degree holder as per 6th CPC it is Rs 9300 + 4800= Rs 14100/- + allowances, that should have been actually Rs 6500 multiplied by 3.6 times which works out to Rs 23000/- .

Hence the justification of multiplying factor of three is justified.

The ratio between the lowest and highest scales should not more than 1:10

The existing basic pay should be multiplied by factor three, so that there is no bunching of basic pay. The existing GP of Rs 2000/- and Rs 2800/- should be removed. Likewise there are GP of Rs 5400/- in both PB-2 and PB-3 one of them is to be removed.

There are 34 scales recommended by the 6th CPC, out of which four Grade Pay has been not in existence, as such 30 GP are right now available.

With the merger of pay scale from S9 to S12 into Grade Pay of Rs 4200/-

There are many pay scales which was merged into single GP of Rs.4200/- which has created anomalies, the promotions have been made in same grade pay without financial benefits.

There should be time scale rather than grade pay system, these time scales should long enough.

Source: http://karnatakacoc.blogspot.in/

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Limits on Cash withdrawals from Bank accounts and ATMs - RBI Order

RBI/2016-17/217

DCM (Plg) No. 2905/10.27.00/2016-17

January 30, 2017

The Chairman / Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer,

Public Sector Banks / Private Sector Banks / Foreign Banks,

Regional Rural Banks / Urban Co-operative Banks,

State Co-operative Banks / District Central Co-operative Banks

Dear Sir/Madam,

Limits on Cash withdrawals from Bank accounts and ATMs - Restoration of status quo ante

Please refer to our circular DCM (Plg) No.1226/10.27.00/2016-17 dated November 08, 2016 placing limits on Cash withdrawals from bank accounts and ATMs in the wake of withdrawal of Legal Tender Character of Specified Bank Notes (SBN) and subsequent circulars DCM (Plg) Nos.1256, 1274, 1317, 1437, 2142 and 2559 dated November 11, 14, 21, 28, December 30, 2016 and January 16, 2017 respectively, providing for relief and relaxations therefrom.

2. On a review of the pace of remonitisation, it has been decided to partially restore status quo ante as under:

1. Limits placed vide the circulars cited above on cash withdrawals from Current accounts/ Cash credit accounts/ Overdraft accounts stand withdrawn with immediate effect.
2. The limits on Savings Bank accounts will continue for the present and are under consideration for withdrawal in the near future.
3. Limits vide the circulars cited above placed on cash withdrawals from ATMs stand withdrawn from February 01, 2017. However, banks may, at their discretion, have their own operating limits as was the case before November 8, 2016, subject to 2 (ii) above.

3. Further, banks are urged to encourage their constituents to sustain the movement towards digitisation of payments and switching over of payments from cash mode to non-cash mode.

4. Please acknowledge receipt.

Yours faithfully,

(P Vijaya Kumar)

Chief General Manager